Standard

ABSTRACT

A standard having a base plate that in some embodiments includes a first upturned edge, a second upturned edge, and at least one aperture. A first support can be positioned between the first upturned edge and the aperture, and can extend past a top surface of the first upturned edge. A second support can be positioned between the second upturned edge and the aperture, and can extends past a top surface of the second upturned edge. The upturned portions and supports can be dimensioned such that fasteners used to secure the standard to a surface do not interfere with elements (e.g., drywall, pegboard, display panels, and the like) covering the base plate, and/or such that the supports are at least partially recessed in a surface defined by such covering elements.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/665,039 filed Mar. 24, 2005, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Many different types of construction systems exist for supporting and/or displaying a variety of different elements. For example, such construction systems include shelving and rack systems, merchandise systems, equipment storage systems, structural support systems, and the like. These construction systems often employ one or more standards that function to support items (e.g., merchandise, equipment, and the like) and/or other construction system components (e.g., shelves, stretchers, wall and modular room components, brackets, fixtures, and the like). Such standards are often substantially vertically oriented, although other orientations are possible. Also, such standards are often adapted to support items and/or other construction system components at one or more locations along the standards to best serve their intended functions.

Some construction systems utilize one or more standards that can be secured to a wall or other structure. The standards can have a series of slots in a front face of the standard. Shelf mounting brackets, other shelf parts or store fixtures, or other construction systems components can be mounted to the standard at one or more locations (e.g., at different heights along the standard). For example, each standard can receive a rear portion of a shelf mounting bracket used to support one or more shelves or store fixtures. Standards are often available in a variety of sizes, and can often accept a variety of mounting fixtures.

In many systems, standards are used to keep shelving units vertically aligned and separated from one another. Existing standards can be made of components having complicated shapes that require expensive manufacturing processes. Furthermore, many existing standards and related shelving components are not adapted for multiple configurations using the same basic components.

SUMMARY

In some embodiments, a standard is provided, and comprises an elongated base lying substantially in a plane, the base comprising a side; a first protrusion on the side of the base and extending away from the plane; a second protrusion on the first side of the base and extending away from the plane; and an aperture defined in the base and located substantially between the first and second protrusions; a first support coupled to the base, located on the side of the base, and extending away from the plane; and a second support coupled to the base, located on the side of the base, and extending away from the plane, wherein the aperture is located between the first and second supports, and wherein the first and second supports are separated a distance sufficient to receive an element for connection to the standard via the aperture.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a standard comprising an elongated base having a length and a width substantially smaller than the length, the elongated base comprising a first edge portion; a second edge portion; a center portion recessed with respect to the first edge portion and the second edge portion; a first aperture defined in the base between the first edge portion and the second edge portion; an elongated channel coupled to the base between the first and second edge portions and extending along at least a portion of the length of the base; a second aperture defined in the elongated channel, wherein the first and second apertures are positioned to receive an element for connection to the standard via the aperture.

In some embodiments, a construction system is provided, and comprises a standard comprising an elongated base having first and second edge surfaces; a third surface between the first and second edge surface and recessed with respect to the first and second edge surfaces; an aperture defined in the third surface of the elongated base; first and second elongated supports running along the elongated base, coupled to the elongated base, and extending from the third surface; a gap defined between the first and second elongated supports, the gap positioned with respect to the aperture in the elongated base to receive an element coupled to the standard via the aperture; a panel covering a portion of the elongated base and separated from the third surface by at least one of the first and second edge surfaces; and a fastener coupling the elongated base to a surface and recessed with respect to the first and second edge surfaces, at least a portion of the fastener located between the third surface and the panel.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an end view of a standard according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 includes front and side views of the standard illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the standard illustrated in FIG. 1, shown secured to a stud and having a shelf bracket mounted thereto;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the standard, stud, and bracket illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the standard, stud, and bracket illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the standard illustrated in FIG. 1, shown secured to a different type of stud and having a shelf bracket mounted thereto;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the standard, stud, and bracket illustrated in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a top view of the standard, stud, and bracket illustrated in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and “mounted” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings, and the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. Also, it is to be understood that phraseology and terminology used herein with reference to device or element orientation (such as, for example, terms like “front”, “back”, “up”, “down”, “top”, “bottom”, and the like) are only used to simplify description of the present invention, and do not alone indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation. In addition, terms such as “first”, “second”, and “third” are used herein and in the appended claims for purposes of description and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance or significance.

Additionally, it is to be understood that the following applications of the invention as described and illustrated are only example applications of the invention. The present invention is capable of being utilized in a variety of applications, all of which fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the application described below includes a standard used in a shelving system and to which one or more brackets or supports can be coupled. In other applications, however, the standard could be used in a variety of other ways. For instance, the standard could be secured to a ceiling and used to support a plurality of lighting fixtures or ceiling tiles suspended from the standard. As another example, the standard could be secured to a floor and used as a base plate configured to receive a plurality of vertically-extending components (e.g., cubicle walls, uprights, and the like). In another application, the standard could be coupled to an appliance (e.g., oven, refrigerator, and the like) for receiving one or more adjustable racks. In still other applications, the standard could be coupled to a wall (e.g., garage wall) in a vertical, horizontal, or other orientation for receiving a plurality of hanging elements from which tools or other items can be hung. Additional applications of the invention will also be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a standard (indicated generally at 10) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated standard 10 has a base portion 22 and two support portions 14, 18 coupled to the base portion 22. In some embodiments, the base portion 22 can be defined by a separate part coupled to the support portions 14, 18 in any suitable manner as described in greater detail below. Also, in some embodiments the support portions 14, 18 can be defined by separate parts (e.g., plates or other elements) or by a single part coupled to the base portion 22 in any suitable manner as described in greater detail below. By way of example only, the base portion 22 in the illustrated embodiment is defined by a plate, and the support portions 14, 18 are defined by walls of a generally U-shaped channel 15 coupled to the base portion 22.

In other embodiments, the standard 10 can include a different number of parts. For example, a one-part standard can incorporate the base portion 22 with both of the two support portions 14, 18. As another example, the support portions 14, 18 can be defined by separate plates, in which case the standard 10 can have a three-part construction in which the support portions 14, 18 are attached to the base portion 22. In still other embodiments, the standard 10 can be constructed from any number of different elements coupled in any manner in order to achieve the same and different configurations described herein. Furthermore, the lengths and thicknesses of the support portions 14, 18 and the base portion 22 can be different from that shown in the illustrated embodiment. For example, the base portion 22 can have a thickness that is the same or smaller than that of the support portions 14, 18 (rather than having a larger thickness as shown in FIG. 1). As another example, the support portions 14, 18 can be longer or shorter than shown in FIG. 1.

As described above, the support portions 14, 18 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 are opposite walls of a U-shaped channel 15. In such embodiments, the channel 15 can have a bottom wall 17 joined to the support portions 14, 18 by curved portions 26, 30 of the U-shaped channel 15. The bottom wall 17 can have a thickness that is the same, larger, or smaller than the thickness of the support portions 14, 18. Also, the bottom wall 17 can be joined to the support portions 14, 18, in a number of different manners, such as through a relatively sharp angle (e.g., a 90-degree angle), through a more gentle curve defining a curved bottom wall 17 of the U-shaped channel 15, or in any other manner desired. In this regard, the U-shaped channel 15 can be stamped, pressed, bent, or formed in any other manner from a substantially flat piece of material.

In other embodiments, such as in cases in which the support portions 14, 18 are separate elements coupled to the base portion 22, the support portions 14, 18 need not necessarily be coupled to or joined by a bottom wall 17. In such embodiments, each support portion 14, 18 can meet the base portion 22 at a right angle, at any other angle, along a flange of the support portion 14, 18, at a curved end of the support portion 14, 18, or in any other manner. Also, in some embodiments, each support portion 14, 18 can have a flange that, together with the remainder of the support portion 14, 18, defines an inverted T-shaped cross-section of the support portion 14, 18.

With continued reference to the illustrated embodiment, the base portion 22 lies in a plane, and has generally curved portions (“upturned edges”) 34, 38 on either side of the support portions 14, 18 extending in a common direction away from the plane. The upturned edges 34, 38 define protrusions extending away from the plane in which the base portion 22 lies. The upturned edges 34, 38 can instead be at sharp angles with respect to the rest of the base portion 22, such as at 90-degree angles or at an acute or obtuse angle with respect to the base portion 22. In this regard, base portion 22 can be stamped, pressed, bent, or formed in any other manner from a substantially flat piece of material and the protrusions extending therefrom.

The two support portions 14, 18 of the illustrated standard 10 can be oriented at substantially right angles with respect to the base portion 22, and can be separated by a gap 42. In other embodiments, the support portions 14, 18 can be oriented at any other angle with respect to one another and to the base portion 22 while still defining a gap 42 between the support portions 14, 18. The gap 42 can have any width desired.

The support portions 14, 18 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 extend from a substantially central location of the base portion 22. In other embodiments, however, the support portions 14, 18, need not necessarily extend from such a location, and can instead extend from an edge of the base portion 22 or from any other off-center position of the base portion 22.

With reference to FIG. 1, the U-shaped channel 15 of the illustrated embodiment has at least one aperture 46 within which a shelf bracket or other display or structural component (not shown in FIG. 1) can be received for mounting to the standard 10. As discussed earlier, in other applications, other items or elements can be received and mounted to the standard 10 (via the U-shaped channel 15). For example, in some embodiments, the aperture(s) 46 can receive any other storage or display elements, such as a basket, a hanger, a stretcher, or any other element adapted to support merchandise and having a portion shaped to be received within aperture(s) 46 of the U-shaped channel 15. Any number of apertures 46 can be located in the U-shaped channel 15 for receiving any number of storage or display elements in any number of different positions along the standard 10. For example, the standard 10 in the illustrated embodiment has a series of apertures 46 in and running along the length of the bottom wall 17 of the U-shaped channel 15.

In the illustrated embodiment, the apertures 46 are generally rectangular in shape, and are spaced evenly along the length of the U-shaped channel 15. In other embodiments, however, the shape of the apertures 46 can be different (e.g., round, oval, keyhole-shaped, irregular, and the like), and need not necessarily be evenly spaced. Additionally, the apertures 46 need not necessarily be included in the entire length of the U-shaped channel 15.

With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 2, some embodiments of the standard 10 can include one or more of apertures 50 in the base portion 22 for receiving an element or item of a storage or display structure, shelving or rack system, merchandise system, equipment storage system, or structural support system (as discussed above). The apertures 50 in the base portion 22 can take any of the forms and can be located in any of the manners described above with reference to the apertures 46 in the U-shaped channel 15 of the illustrated embodiment. The apertures 50 in the base portion 22 of the illustrated embodiment are substantially aligned with the apertures 46 in the U-shaped channel 15, thereby enabling storage or display elements to be received within corresponding apertures 46, 50 in the U-shaped channel 15 and the base portion 22 in order to mount the storage or display elements to the standard 10. In those embodiments in which no bottom wall 17 exists, the storage or display element(s) can be received and supported solely within apertures 50.

Although all of the apertures 46 in the U-shaped channel 15 of the illustrated embodiment are substantially aligned with all of the apertures 50 in the base portion 22, in some embodiments fewer than all of the apertures 46, 50 in either of these standard components are substantially aligned as just described.

In those embodiments in which the standard comprises two or more separate elements coupled together (e.g., a U-shaped channel and a base portion, one or more plates and a base portion, or any other structure in which the apertures 46, 50 described above are defined and/or in which a storage or display element is received), the separate elements can be coupled in any suitable manner. By way of example, the U-shaped channel 15 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be coupled to the base portion 22 by welding (e.g., rollerseam welding, friction welding, ultrasonic welding, and the like), one or more pin and aperture connections, one or more bolts, rivets, screws, nails, or other fasteners, clamps, clips, adhesive or cohesive bonding material, snap-fits or other inter-engaging elements, and the like. Alternatively, the U-shaped channel 15 and base portion 22 can be defined by a single, one-piece unit.

In those embodiments in which two or more of the components of the standard 10 described herein are defined by a single integral element, such an element can be manufactured in any suitable manner. By way of example only, a one-piece standard 10 having the components described herein can be manufactured by extrusion, stamping, bending, pressing, casting, molding, machining, and/or in any other manner.

The standard 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a number of attachment apertures 54 by which the standard 10 can be secured to a stud (two examples of which are illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 and 6-8, respectively) or any other element or structure. Any number of attachment apertures 54 can be located anywhere on the standard 10 and can be shaped in any manner to receive fasteners suitable for performing this function. In the embodiment shown, the attachment apertures 54 are generally circular in shape, and are spaced evenly along the length of the base portion 22 between the support portions 14, 18 and the upturned edges 34, 38 of the base portion 22. In other embodiments, however, the attachment apertures 54 can have any other shape, including those described above with reference to the apertures 46, 50 receiving the storage or display elements, and are not necessarily evenly spaced. Additionally, the attachment apertures 54 need not necessarily be located along the entire length of the base portion 22 as shown in the illustrated embodiment.

The standard 10 can be secured to a stud or other element or structure in a number of different manners. In some applications, the base portion 22 is positioned to be flush with an exterior surface of the stud or other element or structure, such that the support portions 14, 18 extend substantially away from the stud or other element or structure (see, for example, FIGS. 3-5). In other applications, the standard 10 can be mounted in a pre-configured recess within the stud other element or structure (see, for example, FIGS. 6-8). One or more covering elements can be positioned to cover at least part of the standard, such as the base portion 22 on either or both sides of the support portions 14, 16. Such covering elements can include, for example, panels of drywall, wood, pegboard, or other material, can be coupled to the stud or other element or structure to which the standard 10 is mounted, and/or can be coupled to other elements or structure as desired. In other embodiments, the standard 10 is mounted without being covered by any covering elements.

An example installation of the standard 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown in FIGS. 3-5. In this example, the standard 10 is mounted to a stud 100 via fasteners 102 received through the attachment apertures 54 described above. Also in this example, the standard 10 is positioned so that the base portion 22 is substantially flush against the exterior surface of the stud 100, and the apertures 46, 50 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) are aligned with a slot 105 in the stud 100. The alignment of the slot 105 with the apertures 46, 50 can allow a bracket 110 to be received by the apertures 46, 50 as described below in greater detail. In other embodiments, the slot 105 can be wider or narrower, and deeper or shallower than the slot 105 illustrated in FIG. 3. Also, the stud 100 can have other types of apertures (other than a slot 105) located at any suitable horizontal and vertical position of the stud 100 to enable insertion of the bracket 110 as just described.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of the standard 10, stud 100, and bracket 110 shown in FIG. 3. The bracket 110 includes an attachment portion 15, (shown as a hook) which can be received by any pair of the apertures 46, 50 along the standard 10. Although a single attachment portion 15 is illustrated in FIG. 4, it will be appreciated that the bracket 110 can have any number of attachment portions for being received within any number of corresponding apertures 46, 50. Also, in some embodiments, the apertures 46, 50 can be adapted to receive different types of storage or display elements (i.e., other than shelf brackets as described above). For example, the turned ends of a U-shaped hanger constructed from a semi-flexible rod can be can be received and retained within respective aperture pairs. In this application, the legs of the U-shaped hanger can be “pinched” together in order to be received by the pairs of apertures 46, 50, and can then be released so that the stiffness provided by the rod spreads the turned ends within the apertures 46, 50, thereby holding the hanger in place.

A top view of the standard 10, stud 100, and bracket 110 is shown in FIG. 5. As described above with reference to FIG. 3, the apertures 54 receive the fasteners 102, which are secured to the stud 100. The fasteners 102 illustrated in FIG. 5 are screws, but can instead be bolts, nails, rivets, and the like. FIG. 5 also shows the relationship between the attachment portion 15 of the bracket 110 and the slot 105.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the standard 10 can be mounted between two studs 150, as shown in the example of FIGS. 6-8. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 6-8, the standard 10 is adapted to be received by a mounting element 155. The mounting element 155 is configured such that the standard 10 is releasably coupled to and located at least partially within the mounting element 155. The mounting element 155 and standard 10 can be positioned in an area 160 between adjacent studs 150 (see FIGS. 6-8) or within an aperture of a single stud (not shown). The mounting element 155 illustrated in FIGS. 6-8 is only one type of mounting element 155 that can be used to secure the standard 10 with respect to one or more studs 150. In other embodiments, other types of mounting elements 155 having different shapes and configurations can be employed, depending at least in part upon the shape and configuration of the stud(s) 150 to which the standard 10 is mounted. Additionally, the standard 10 can be coupled to the stud(s) 150 directly, and without the use of a mounting element 155.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the standard 10, mounting element 155, and studs 150 illustrated in FIG. 6, while FIG. 8 is a top view of these components. The mounting element 155 (see FIG. 8) in the embodiment of FIGS. 6-8 is generally configured to include an opening 165 through which the support portions 14, 18 of the standard 10 extend, an interior area 170 within which at least part of the standard 10 is received, and two extensions 175 that can be used to secure the mounting element 155 to the stud 150. However, mounting elements 155 having any other configuration suitable for receiving the standard 10 can instead be used, and can be coupled to the stud(s) 150. The mounting element 155 in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 6-8 can be attached to the studs 150 in any of the manners described above with regard to the connection between the U-shaped channel 15 and the base 22.

Also in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 6-8, the mounting element 155 is arranged snugly between two studs 150. The two support portions 14, 18 of the standard 10 extend out of the opening 165, and the attachment portion 115 of the bracket 110 extends into the interior area 170 of the mounting element 155. The extensions 175 of the mounting element 155 can be coupled to the two studs 150 in any suitable manner (as described above).

In other embodiments, the standard 10 can be mounted in a variety of other manners to any desired element or structure. For example, the standard 10 can be permanently mounted (e.g., by welding, adhesive or cohesive bonding material, riveting, and the like) to a variety of elements or structures, such as a ceiling or a floor. Alternatively, the standard 10 can be releasably coupled to an element or structure by one or more bolts, screws, or other fasteners, one or more pin and aperture connections, clamps, clips, snap-fits or other inter-engaging elements, and the like.

As described above, in some embodiments, the standard 10 can be at least partially covered by one or more elements, such as to provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance to the structure in which the standard 10 is incorporated. In such embodiments, the covering elements can be placed over the base portion 22 and/or the fasteners or other elements used to mount the standard 10 as described above. In such embodiments, the covering elements (e.g., drywall, wood, pegboard, or other panels, and the like) can be substantially flush with the top of the upturned edges 34, 38 of the base portion 22 and/or can abut the support portions 14, 18 of the standard 10 (see FIGS. 2 and 6 of the illustrated embodiments). In those cases in which the covering elements are substantially flush with the tops of the upturned edges 34, 3 8, the upturned edges 34, 38 can provide an area beneath the covering elements for the fasteners 102 or other elements used to mount the standard 10. With reference to FIG. 5, for example, covering elements (not shown) abutting the upturned edges 34, 38 would not interfere with the heads of the fasteners 102. In this manner, the covering elements can lie in a position that is flush with the standard 10 rather than interfering with the fasteners or other elements used to mount the standard 10.

With reference again to the illustrated embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the heads of the fasteners 102 used to secure the standard 10 to the stud 100 are received in an area between the covering elements 200 and the body of the base portion 22. Although this relationship between the covering elements 200 and the base portion 22 can eliminate the need for countersunk attachment apertures 54 (thereby reducing manufacturing costs of the standard 10), countersunk apertures 54 can still be employed as desired. Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, support portions 14, 18 can have a length selected so that the front edges of the support portions 14, 18 are substantially flush with the outer surfaces of the covering elements 200. In this manner, a majority of the standard 10 can be recessed with respect to the covering elements 200, thereby providing a more aesthetically pleasing structure.

Referring again to FIG. 1, coupling the U-shaped channel 15 to the base portion 22 can provide for a streamlined manufacturing process that minimizes the need for tight tolerances. In the illustrated embodiment, there is no part of the standard 10 that is required to fit within another part of the standard 10 under any significant manufacturing tolerance. The two support portions 14, 18 are generally located at a mid-point of the base portion 22, but could instead be located at virtually any point on the base portion 22 while still providing the same functionality described above.

The embodiments described above and illustrated in the figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present invention. As such, it will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that various changes in the elements and their configuration and arrangement are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Various embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following claims. 

1. A standard, comprising: an elongated base lying substantially in a plane, the base comprising first and second protrusions extending away from the plane and defining a recess of the base located between the first and second protrusions; an aperture defined in the base and located between the first and second protrusions; and first and second supports coupled to the base and extending outwardly from the recess, the first and second supports spaced apart from one another to form a gap for receiving an element for connection to the standard via the aperture.
 2. The standard of claim 1, wherein the first protrusion is an edge of the base extending away from the plane in which a substantially flat portion of the base lies.
 3. The standard of claim 2, wherein the first protrusion is a turned edge of the base.
 4. The standard of claim 1, wherein the first and second supports are part of the same integral and unitary piece of material.
 5. The standard of claim 4, wherein the aperture is a first aperture, the standard further comprising a second aperture defined in the integral and unitary piece of material, the first and second apertures positioned with respect to one another to receive a fastener therethrough.
 6. The standard of claim 1, further comprising apertures extending through the base and located between the first support and the first protrusion, the apertures dimensioned to receive fasteners for mounting the standard to a surface.
 7. The standard of claim 1, wherein the aperture is shaped and dimensioned to removably receive a bracket.
 8. The standard of claim 1, wherein the first and second protrusions are adapted to abut panels placed against the shelving standard.
 9. The standard of claim 1, wherein the first and second supports are substantially elongated members extending along a length of the base.
 10. A standard, comprising: an elongated base comprising a first edge portion; a second edge portion; a center portion recessed with respect to the first edge portion and the second edge portion; a first aperture defined in the base between the first edge portion and the second edge portion; an elongated channel coupled to the base between the first and second edge portions; a second aperture defined in the elongated channel, wherein the first and second apertures are positioned to receive an element for connection to the standard via the aperture.
 11. The standard of claim 10, wherein the first and second apertures and the elongated channel are shaped and dimensioned to receive at least one of a shelving bracket and a fixture.
 12. The standard of claim 10, further comprising: a third aperture located in the elongated base beside the channel; and a fastener received within the third aperture and recessed with respect to the first and second edge portions of the base.
 13. The standard of claim 10, wherein the first and second edge portions are turned edges of the base.
 14. A construction system, comprising: a standard comprising an elongated base having first and second edge surfaces; a third surface between the first and second edge surface and recessed with respect to the first and second edge surfaces; an aperture defined in the third surface of the elongated base; first and second elongated supports coupled to the elongated base and extending outwardly from a recess defined by the first, second, and third surfaces; a gap defined between the first and second elongated supports, the gap cooperating with the aperture to receive an element coupled to the standard via the aperture; a panel covering a portion of the elongated base and separated from the third surface by at least one of the first and second edge surfaces; and a fastener coupling the elongated base to a surface and recessed with respect to the first and second edge surfaces, at least a portion of the fastener located between the third surface and the panel.
 15. The construction system of claim 14, wherein the first and second elongated supports are substantially parallel.
 16. The construction system of claim 14, wherein the first and second elongated supports are part of the same integral and unitary piece of material.
 17. The construction system of claim 14, further comprising a mount within which at least part of the standard is received.
 18. The construction system of claim 17, wherein the mount is adapted to be mounted between and to two adjacent supports of a structure.
 19. The construction system of claim 16, wherein the aperture is a first aperture, the construction system further comprising a second aperture defined in the integral and unitary piece of material between the first and second elongated supports and through which the element is also received.
 20. The construction system of claim 14, wherein the panel is a first panel and the gap is a first gap, the construction system further comprising a second panel covering another portion of the elongated base and separated from the third surface by another of the first and second edge surfaces, the first and second elongated supports being at least partially recessed within a second gap between the first and second panels. 